Mike Recine
Defends the indefensible with the mild annoyance of a weary commuter.
3 specials · 2015–2024
Start with The Half Hour, the breakout (2016 · 30 min · Comedy Central)
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Mike Recine works the stage with the posture of a guy waiting at the DMV. He does not project or pace. He steps to the microphone and delivers bleak concepts in a flat register. He will describe a grim family dynamic with the exact same mild frustration he might use to complain about traffic. Because he refuses to raise his voice, the crowd has to quiet down. Once he has them listening closely, he drops a brutal punchline and waits for the room to catch up.
Specials
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Deadpan club stand-up built on bad behavior and tight punchlines.
Comedy Dynamics · Album · 50 min
On stage
He is a core fixture in the New York ecosystem. He plays basements across the city and features for theater-level peers on the road. He sits permanently inside the Northeast comedy podcast circuit, regularly guesting on shows hosted by his contemporaries while co-hosting his own, Out for Smokes.
He builds his best material by calmly taking the wrong side of an argument. He pitches morally incorrect ideas and rides them out to their logical extremes. His 2024 hour I’m Normal uses his unassuming presence as a blind for jokes about inappropriate boundaries and bizarre historical theories. He wastes zero words on the setup. His refusal to smile or shift his tone can leave a casual crowd behind. If a room expects high energy or clear signaling about when a joke is over, he simply stares at them until they adjust to his pace.
He grew up in South Jersey. He avoids obvious regional nostalgia, but the cadence of a guy making a patient, insane point at a diner informs how he structures every joke.
Turning points
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2014–2016
Multiple Stand-Up Sets on Conan
Recine broke onto late-night television with stand-up performances on Conan in 2014 and 2016.
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Taping Comedy Central The Half Hour
Recine was chosen to record a half-hour stand-up special in New Orleans for season five of Comedy Central's showcase series.
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Self-Funded Debut Special I'm Normal
Mike Recine independently financed and released his full-length stand-up special I'm Normal directly on YouTube.
At a glance
- Style
- observational, storytelling, dark comedy
- Breakout
- The Half Hour
- Topics
- Elsewhere
- Website, Wikipedia
Fans also like
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Shane GillisShares a close scene connection in the New York circuit and an audience drawn to blunt, unfiltered stand-up.
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Dan SoderContemporary NYC stand-up peer who also appeared alongside Recine on Flatbush Misdemeanors.
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Nick Mullen
Frequent peer in the New York podcast sphere appealing to fans of dry, cynical, and irreverent comedy.
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Michael CheFellow veteran of the New York stand-up scene with a grounded, direct approach to joke writing.
Podcasts
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Recine Time · host
A twice-weekly comedy podcast hosted by Mike Recine featuring topical jokes and guest comedian conversations.
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Out For Smokes · co-host
Also on screen
- Flatbush Misdemeanors
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- Pause with Sam Jay
A clip to start with
Mike Recine - Worst Pedophile